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Yes, it usually does. The new fuel is Plutonium (or sometimes Uranium-233 if Thorium was used in the blanket instead of Uranium).
It is possible to configure a Breeder to consume more fuel than it is given, this has been considered one way to destroy excess weapons grade Plutonium.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoYes, it is possible; see the link below. But uranium is used in this type of reactor not as a fissile material but as a fertile material (the isotope 238U).
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In a breeder reactor a. Plutonium is converted into uranium or b. Uranium is converted into plutonium?
Uranium. A breeder reactor can use either Uranium, Plutonium, or mixed Transuranic elements for fuel. Depleted Uranium or Thorium is used as the breeding blanket. Periodically the breeding blanket is changed: the old one reprocessed to make new fuel.
Is uranium still used today?
The most common everyday use is as fuel for a nuclear reactor that produces electricity.
What does a breeder reactor produce?
Well, simply put, both are nuclear reactors. A breeder reactor is one which instead of losing it's neutron production to capture in moderators or shielding elements, absorbs most of the neutron production in the fuel specifically for the production of transuranic elements. Such reactors have been used since the 60's to facilitate in the production of fusion nuclear weapons, also known as hydrogen bombs, as these require large amounts of plutonium which can only be created in a breeder reactor. The U.N. has been discouraging the use of breeder reactors since the mid nineties and many worldwide have been shut down. This is in part due to their use in the proliferation of nuclear weapons and due to their inherent instability. There are literally dozens of types of nuclear reactors, breeders being only one. Others include pressurized water reactors, boiling water reactors, graphite moderated reactors, lead cooled reactors, or the more recent pebble bed reactors.
What type of nuclear reactor is used in Ontario to produce electricity?
This is the Candu type, which was uniquely developed in Canada to use heavy water moderator and natural uranium fuel
What fuel other then uranium can be used in a nuclear reactor?
In a pure fission bomb, none. Only high purity Uranium-235, Plutonium-239, or Uranium-233 are fissile and thus suitable as fission fuel. In a boosted fission bomb small amounts of fusion fuel can be added in a hollow pit construction: gaseous deuterium and/or gaseous tritium or solid lithium-deuteride.In a fusion bomb the fuel is solid lithium-deuteride. However the high energy (15 MeV) fusion neutrons can fission Uranium-238 used as the tamper causing it to provide as much as 90% of the final yield.Fuels:U235U233P239DTLiDU238 only with 15 MeV fusion neutrons
In a breeder reactor a. Plutonium is converted into uranium or b. Uranium is converted into plutonium?
Uranium. A breeder reactor can use either Uranium, Plutonium, or mixed Transuranic elements for fuel. Depleted Uranium or Thorium is used as the breeding blanket. Periodically the breeding blanket is changed: the old one reprocessed to make new fuel.
What is done with the Pu 239 from a fast breeder reactor?
The idea is to use it for nuclear fuel in other reactors, this is why it is called a breeder process. Uranium-238 which is not fissile is converted to Pu-239 in the breeder reactor, but of course there is a chemical separation process to go through before the Pu is available.
What are their advantages and disadvantages of Nuclear and Breeder Reactors?
You can't compare and contrast nuclear reactors and breeder reactors, any more than you can compare a lion with a mammal. A lion is one example of many mammals; a breeder reactor is just one example of many types of nuclear reactor.
What is a use for Uranium fuel?
The use is to produce electricity from a nuclear reactor plant
What happens in a breeder reactor?
A breeder reactor is a type of power reactor that operates without a moderator to slow the neutrons. This requires either Uranium fuel enriched to at least 20% Uranium-235 or Plutonium fuel to operate at critical without Uranium-238 in the core capturing the fast neutrons and stopping the chain reaction. Most breeder reactors use a liquid metal coolant (water is both coolant and moderator so it cannot be used) like liquid Sodium, NaK, or Mercury in their primary loop. The core of a breeder reactor is surrounded with a "breeding blanket" of either natural or depleted Uranium plates. The Uranium-238 in this blanket captures neutrons escaping the core and "breeds" Plutonium and other transuranic elements. Periodically plates of the "breeding blanket" are replaced and processed to extract the Plutonium and sometimes other transuranics to make new fuel for that reactor and other reactors. A well tuned breeder reactor can make several times the nuclear fuel it consumes in its lifetime.There was discussion some years back of using significantly detuned breeder reactors to rapidly destroy the excess of weapons grade Uranium and Plutonium resulting from dismantling of weapons retired due to treaty limits. Not much seems to have happened with that idea.
How does a breeder reactor breed nuclear fuel?
By using excess fast neutrons to convert Uranium-238 in a breeding blanket surrounding the core into a mixture of Plutonium isotopes, which can be extracted and made into new fuel pellets. Breeder reactors do not contain a moderator to slow the neutrons to thermal speeds, therefore they must use highly enriched Uranium-235 fuel (20% to 95% aka weapons grade uranium) to maintain criticality. The reaction is as follows:U238 + n --> U239 : captureU239 --> Np239 + e- : beta decay, HL 23.5 minutesNp239 --> Pu239 + e- : beta decay, HL 2.33 daysPu239 + n --> Pu240 : capturePu240 + n --> Pu241 : capturePu241 + n --> Pu242 : captureThe longer the breeding blanket is kept in the reactor, the more of isotopes Pu240, Pu241, and Pu242 are produced and the less suitable the Plutonium is for use in weapons. Operated properly a breeder reactor converts weapons grade fuel to fuel unsuitable for use in weapons while converting much of the 99.3% of natural Uranium that is unsuitable for reactor fuel to mixed isotope Plutonium (and other transuranics), an excellent reactor fuel.
How does one use a breeder reactor?
It would be used as a more efficient version of a Nuclear Reactor. While a regular nuclear reactor requires almost a factor of 100 greater in fuel amounts, a Breeder reactor uses much less and produces less waste.
Do Breeder reactor and nuclear reactor have similarities?
A breeder reactor is one type of nuclear reactor, but not a type that is in general commercial use at the present time
What are ways you can turn uranium into energy that we can use?
Most uranium is U-238, with has a very long halflife. Bombard it with neutrons (fast breeder reactor) to make plutonium-239, which is a suitable fuel for a fission reactor. Lift it up high, and tie a rope to it. As it falls, have it drive a generator. Same scenario, only drop it into a black hole... get lots more energy.
Why were breeder reactors developed?
Breeder reactors were developed to allow use of non-fissile or fertile fuel, such as uranium-238 and thorium-232, instead of fissile fuel, such as uranium-235 and plutonium-239. They do have fissile fuel in them, but they use its neutron flux to convert the non-fissile (fertile) fuel into fissile form, extending the lifespan of the core.
Does a breeder nuclear reactor use moderator?
Thermal Breeder Reactors use moderators but Fast Breeder Reactors don't use moderator.
What is a way to produce heat energy?
Burn a fossil fuel like coal or oil, or use uranium in a nuclear reactor
